grounded

American  

[groun-did] / ˈgraʊn dɪd /

adjective

1. mentally or emotionally balanced; having a peaceful, practical, or realistic outlook.

   His more grounded, common-sense view of the situation was a helpful counter to my flights of fancy.

   I love being around them, because they're really grounded.

2. Aeronautics. (of an aircraft) being brought or restricted to the ground because of bad weather, the unsatisfactory condition of the aircraft, etc.

   Grounded flights have cost airlines in excess of $2 billion this year alone.

3. Electricity. having a conducting connection between an electric circuit or equipment and the earth or some other conducting body.

   This equipment must be plugged into a grounded outlet.

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grounded British  

/ ˈɡraʊndɪd /

adjective

1. sensible and down-to-earth; having one's feet on the ground

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Other Word Forms

• groundedly adverb
• groundedness noun

Etymology

Origin of grounded

First recorded in 1955–60; ground ¹ ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

“Everything we do at CalSTRS is grounded in our mission to secure the financial future of California’s current and retired public school teachers,” Zumwalt said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026

"We are seeing evidence that grounded ridges are not forming where they used to," Mahoney said.

From Science Daily • Mar. 27, 2026

But the selloff is grounded in reality, according to Weed.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 27, 2026

With airspace closed across the region, aircraft were grounded.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

And these trees have deep roots, so grounded that even though they bend, they don’t break.

From "Betty Before X" by Ilyasah Shabazz and Renée Watson

Related Words

• alive
• appreciative
• apprehensive
• attentive
• awake
• cognizant
• conscious
• familiar
• informed
• mindful
• receptive
• wise